Domaine Saint-Cyr
BEAUJOLAIS, FRANCE
Raphaël Saint-Cyr is the fourth-generation vigneron at Domaine Saint-Cyr (formerly Domaine de Bellevue), which was created by his great-grandfather Pierre Saint-Cyr in Anse, at the southern edge of Beaujolais. When Raphaël took over the winemaking in 2008, he let go of a large portion of Beaujolais vines around the winery and acquired vines further north in the crus of Morgon, Regnié, Chénas, and Moulin-à-Vent. At the same time, he converted the entirety of their 56-acre holdings to certified organic viticulture, making Domaine de Bellevue the largest organic domaine in the Beaujolais.
Unusual for the region, the crus are all single vineyard plots, and the name of each terroir is listed with each wine. They are fermented in concrete tanks and then aged in used barrels for 12 to 18 months. La Galoche, the straight Beaujolais cuvée, ages for 9 months in concrete tanks, with ⅓ aged in used barrels for 6 months. All of the wines are harvested by hand and vinified with natural yeasts.
The Wines
La Galoche Beaujolais Rouge
variety: gamay soil type: clay-limestone avg vine age: 25 years
This wine comes off the Saint-Cyrs’ original vineyard holdings in the south of Beaujolais. Grapes are chilled overnight before a cold carbonic maceration that lasts 3 days. In some years, a pied de cuve is used to kickstart fermentation, but never lab yeasts. After aging in cement tanks for 9 months and ⅓ in used barrels for 6 months, the wine is bottled without filtration or added sulfur.
La Galoche Beaujolais Blanc
variety: chardonnay soil type: clay-limestone avg vine age: 30 years
Only 2.5 acres of the Saint-Cyrs’ vineyard is dedicated to white grapes, and they produce this mineral-driven, zippy Beaujolais Blanc. The grapes are direct-pressed and vinified in stainless steel tanks before aging for 4 to 5 months in concrete.
Chénas “Les Blémonts”
variety: gamay soil type: granite & gravel avg vine age: 55 years
This wine comes off a sunny 7.5-acre plot in the Chénas cru called Les Blémonts, which was once home to a former granite quarry. It ferments in concrete tanks, after which 70% ages in used barrels and 30% in tank for 18 months before blending and bottling.
Morgon “Les Charmes”
variety: gamay soil type: granite & schist avg vine age: 70 years
Les Charmes is a 2.5-acre plot in the Morgon cru on a soil of white granite and red schist. The grapes are destemmed and undergo cold, semi-carbonic fermentation in concrete tanks, with no pigeage or remontage. The resulting wine ages for 12 months in used barrels.
Moulin-à-Vent “La Bruyère”
variety: gamay soil type: pink granite avg vine age: 45 years
La Bruyère is a 3.5-acre plot in the Moulin-à-Vent cru on a soil of pink granite and shale. The grapes are destemmed and undergo cold carbonic fermentation in concrete tanks. 70% of the resulting wine ages in used barrels and 30% in tank for 18 months before blending and bottling.
Pét-Nat Rosé
variety: gamay soil type: clay-limestone avg vine age: 30 years
This Pét-Nat has been produced since 2017 from a plot called Les Pierre Dorées (“the golden stones”). The grapes are hand-harvested and direct-pressed before undergoing cold fermentation. The resulting wine is bottled with 15g of residual sugar, after which it continues to ferment sur point (upside down).